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A new study conducted by KPMG says… quite a lot! From June 17-30, 2025, KPMG surveyed 1,019 full-time professionals (those employed full-time in a remote, hybrid, or in-person office-based role at an organization with at least 100 employees, with a range of job titles and industries) to understand their attitudes about workplace friendships.
What they found: workplace friendships are not just important for job satisfaction and retention… but also for better job performance.
When asked to rate on a 1-7 scale how important work friendships are to them, 87% of all professionals say close work friends are very (defined as a “6” or “7” on the scale) important to them – including 77% of Baby Boomers, 79% of Gen X, 88% of Millennials, and 90% of Gen Z.
Work friendships aren’t just a nice-to-have – they’re a core part of how employees define a fulfilling job. When asked to choose between a role with salary 10% below market with close work friendships and a role with a salary 10% over market but without close friendships, more than half (57%) said they’d trade a higher salary in exchange to work with close friends. This means that workplace friendships are valued at a 20% salary premium.
Close work friends go beyond attracting employees to a workplace – they help them do their jobs better, too. When asked what professional benefits they’ve gained from their close work friendships, nearly 1 in 3 employees (28%) said increased productivity and motivation, and more than a quarter said that their friendships “provide valuable perspective, guidance, and problem solving” (26%) and “build confidence and expand professional skills and networks” (26%).
Whether their workforce is remote, hybrid, or fully in person, companies should invest in relationship-building opportunities for their employees. Fostering authentic workplace connections isn’t just good culture – it’s good business, too.
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